Risk and Safety Measures in the Intra-hospital Transportation of Critically Ill Patients

Abstract

Intra-hospital transportation is a general duty of hospital staff, yet hospitals are often understaffed and underequipped when serving critically ill patients. According to a source of current research from overseas, adverse events occur in 68% of cases in which critically ill patients are transported within a hospital. Studies show that implementation of a thoroughly established protocol for intra-hospital patient transportation can decrease the incidence of adverse events. A perioperative management team should ideally have these knowledge and skills, but in Japan a systematic evidence-based safety education is not provided. Collection and analysis of data on adverse events during intra-hospital transportation is vital and will permit the construction of a systematic, practical education program including simulation training.